arch noise corrupter aaron funk brings us his 3rd album of 2002, and it's his most advanced and creative work to date. the abrasive content from previous work has been toned down and added to with some extremely complex programming techniques which shows his creativity at its peak.

sinister intentions are aired from the start as it becomes clear they are dark forces at work. opening track 'dad' an ode to his late father, features vocals by aaron himself and indicates a maturity which persists throughout the album. 'stairs song' flows with beautiful, dark strings backed with the usual cheeky rhythms we've come to expect from the funkster. the album has a melancholic feel throughout, a dark edge replacing the breakcore styles found on earlier material. don't think he's gone all mellow though, they's still enough abrasive beats on show to keep the noiseheads happy. the best examples of this are on killer tracks 'january' and the scary 'in quod' showing snares at his most creative, and melodic. 'fraujeger' and 'sink snow angel' continue the trend, containing all the elements, which make the album so memorable.

the venetian one has introduced a more thoughtful edge into his work and delivered the album that lives up to the hype, where previous albums felt a little disjointed, this is an atmospheric, intense ride. with a couple of mellow stops taken along the way. the best snares album yet.